The wait is over, but it didn’t come in silence. For weeks, everyone has been wondering about the dates, venues and fixtures. Now, the wait is over. The schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially been released. The schedule outlines everything from the start of the match to the final whistle. What has been a guesswork scenario for everyone has officially been released.
The announcement settles key questions. It confirms dates, venues, and the structure of matches. With more teams and more games, the tournament stretches across North America with precise planning now in place.
Release of schedule and key dates
The full schedule has been officially confirmed well in advance of the tournament. The schedule includes all 104 matches. The opening match is set for June 11, 2026, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Then the matches will be continuous till the final on July 19, 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. The tournament is going to be held over 39 days, making it one of the longest World Cups in history.
Tournament format and structure
This edition introduces a new structure with 48 teams. It expands the competition significantly. The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27. After that, the newly added Round of 32 begins on June 28 and continues until July 3. The Round of 16 follows from July 4 to July 7. The quarterfinals are scheduled between July 9 and July 11, with the semifinals set for July 14 and July 15. The third-place match will take place on July 18, followed by the final a day later. The expanded format increases the total number of matches to 104.
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Group stage
- June 11: Mexico vs South Africa; South Korea vs playoff winner
- June 12: Canada vs playoff winner; USA vs Paraguay
- June 13: Qatar vs Switzerland; Brazil vs Morocco; Haiti vs Scotland; Australia vs playoff winner
- June 14: Germany vs Curacao; Netherlands vs Japan; Ivory Coast vs Ecuador; playoff winner vs Tunisia
- June 15: Spain vs Cape Verde; Belgium vs Egypt; Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay; Iran vs New Zealand
- June 16: France vs Senegal; playoff winner vs Norway; Argentina vs Algeria; Austria vs Jordan
- June 17: Portugal vs playoff winner; England vs Croatia; Ghana vs Panama; Uzbekistan vs Colombia
- June 18: Second round begins — Switzerland vs playoff winner; Canada vs Qatar; Mexico vs South Korea
- June 19: USA vs Australia; Scotland vs Morocco; Brazil vs Haiti
- June 20: Netherlands vs playoff winner; Germany vs Ivory Coast; Ecuador vs Curacao; Tunisia vs Japan
- June 21: Spain vs Saudi Arabia; Belgium vs Iran; Uruguay vs Cape Verde; New Zealand vs Egypt
- June 22: Argentina vs Austria; France vs playoff winner; Norway vs Senegal
- June 23: Portugal vs Uzbekistan; England vs Ghana; Panama vs Croatia; Colombia vs playoff winner
- June 24: Switzerland vs Canada; Morocco vs Haiti; Scotland vs Brazil; South Africa vs South Korea
- June 25: Ecuador vs Germany; Tunisia vs Netherlands; Japan vs playoff winner; USA vs playoff winner
- June 26: Norway vs France; Senegal vs playoff winner; Uruguay vs Spain; Belgium vs New Zealand
- June 27: Panama vs England; Croatia vs Ghana; Colombia vs Portugal; Algeria vs Austria; Argentina vs Jordan
Knockout rounds
- June 28: Round of 32 begins (Match 1)
- June 29: Round of 32 (Matches 2–4)
- June 30: Round of 32 (Matches 5–7)
- July 1: Round of 32 (Matches 8–10)
- July 2: Round of 32 (Matches 11–13)
- July 3: Round of 32 (Matches 14–16)
- July 4: Round of 16 (Matches 1–2)
- July 5: Round of 16 (Matches 3–4)
- July 6: Round of 16 (Matches 5–6)
- July 7: Round of 16 (Matches 7–8)
- July 9: Quarterfinal 1
- July 10: Quarterfinal 2
- July 11: Quarterfinals 3 and 4
- July 14: Semifinal 1
- July 15: Semifinal 2
- July 18: Third-place match
- July 19: Final
Venues and host cities
The venues for the tournament will be spread over 16 different cities in three different countries. Most of the venues for the tournament will be in the United States, but there will also be venues in Canada and Mexico for some of the major games. The opening match of the tournament will take place at the Azteca Stadium and the final match will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Other major venues for the tournament will include stadiums in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Toronto, and more.
